1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to systems and methods for performing biometrically-secured transactions, including biometrically-secured communications and financial transactions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Due to the prevalence of financial fraud, identity theft, and related schemes, it has become increasingly difficult to safely and securely participate in certain online and in-person transactions. A user typically engages in online transactions using a host computer connected to the internet. However, in many cases the host computer contains malware, such as viruses, worms, spyware, key-logger programs, etc., which endangers the privacy of transactions performed using the host computer.
Even if the host computer is properly secured against such malware, many types of online transactions, such as online credit card purchases, currently require the user to divulge private information to online merchants. For example, when making an online purchase, a purchaser typically pays using a credit card. Not only are these transactions subject to fraud since there are few protections in place to ensure that the purchase is being made by an authorized party, but even in the case where the purchaser is an authorized user of the card, he typically must submit his credit card information to the online merchant. Often the purchaser will make purchases from several different online merchants, thus leading to the widespread dissemination of the purchaser's credit card information. Such widespread dissemination increases the probability that the purchaser's private information will be compromised due, for example, to a breach in the online merchant's computer system security. Moreover, the act of transmitting private information to the merchant creates the danger that the information could be intercepted by unauthorized parties over the internet.
In-person credit card transactions are also subject to security problems, such as fraud. As is the case with online credit card transactions, the transaction may be completed by an unauthorized possessor of the card. More recently, credit cards that include Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags have been made available. These credit cards can be used to complete touch-less in-person transactions that do not require the user to swipe his card past a magnetic reader or hand over the card to a cashier. Instead, the credit card information contained in the RFID tag on the card can be transmitted wirelessly when the card is brought in proximity to an RFID tag reader. While this type of credit card increases the convenience of the transaction, it also opens the possibility that a user's credit card information could be surreptitiously read by unauthorized RFID tag readers which may come in proximity to the card.
In addition to the problems described herein with respect to financial transactions, other types of transactions are also subject to concerns related to fraud and identify theft. For example, electronic person-to-person communications, such as email, chat rooms, instant messaging, and others, are also subject to fraud and identity theft. These communications are typically only secured, if at all, with a password. Thus, electronic communications can be accessed by unauthorized parties who are able to gain access to the intended recipient's communication account via a stolen password or some other method.
The problems described herein are not limited solely to financial transactions and electronic communications. A user's privacy, security, and identity can be jeopardized during tasks and activities that millions of people perform every day, whether in-person or remotely via their computers. Cumulatively, these acts of fraud cost society enormous sums of money.